


The Inquisition

by skywalkersamidala



Category: I Medici | Medici: Masters of Florence (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Meeting the Parents, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skywalkersamidala/pseuds/skywalkersamidala
Summary: Lorenzo had hoped his family would like his new boyfriend, but Francesco flat-out replacing him as Cosimo’s favorite grandchild wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind.
Relationships: Lorenzo "Il Magnifico" de' Medici/Francesco de' Pazzi, and various francesco + medici family dynamics
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	The Inquisition

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about how Francesco and Cosimo actually have quite a bit in common (very cunning & practical bankers (as opposed to Lorenzo whose intelligence is literary & political rather than financial), daddy issues, growing up in cold environments that prioritized ambition over affection, which results in them having high mental intelligence and nonexistent emotional intelligence, both kinda uptight and reserved in showing affection, etc etc) and I just really wanted to write them bewildering Lorenzo by becoming pals lmao
> 
> So I pictured Lorenzo as early/mid-20s here which according to all their respective historical birth dates would put Cosimo and Contessina in their mid-80s, which is longer than they lived in canon, but I found it reasonable that they’d still be alive and well at that age in a modern AU with modern medicine and all that stuff (and hey, irl Contessina actually did live to be 83) and then Piero would be mid/late 50s (Lucrezia mid/late 40s) but I imagined he has some kind of gout-equivalent illness/disability that requires him to use a cane like he does in 2x01-2
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

During the drive over to Palazzo Medici, Lorenzo was taking the opportunity to give Francesco another rundown of their strategy. “So we’ve got Bianca and Guglielmo on our side already, obviously, and my grandmother too because she’s been hoping to see an end to the feud for years, she’s so excited we’re dating,” he said as Francesco gazed out the passenger window, looking ill. “There’s no point even trying with Giuliano, so don’t bother, it’ll take enough of your energy simply not to rise to all the bait he’s going to throw at you. That’s very important, not losing your temper with him, because my mother will never forgive you if you do—”

“—even if it’s demonstrably one hundred percent Giuliano’s fault for provoking me on purpose,” Francesco finished. “I know, we’ve been over this.”

“Yes, but I thought it might help just to review the most important points,” Lorenzo said. “My father hates the Pazzi and probably won’t be easily won over, but no one ever listens to him anyway, so that doesn’t matter. The real people to focus on are my mother and my grandfather. They’re the main authorities in this family—and my grandmother, but she already likes you—and what they say goes. Which means that what they _don’t_ say does _not_ go, meaning that if you can’t win them over, we might as well kiss our relationship goodbye.”

Francesco scooched down a little in his seat, crossing his arms. “So no pressure, then,” he said sarcastically.

Lorenzo regretted laying on the doom and gloom. No matter how nervous _he_ felt, it was nothing to how Francesco must be feeling. “Well, the good news is, they’re also two of the most reasonable people in the family and two of the least likely to let emotions cloud their judgment,” he offered as consolation. “Right now they’re both pre-biased against you, yes, but I’m confident that if you really impress them tonight, they’ll come around to our side.”

“Hmph,” Francesco said, not looking very soothed.

Lorenzo continued, more to calm his own nerves than because he thought he was really helping Francesco. “Now, my mother will be unfailingly polite no matter how much she hates you—not that she _hates_ you,” he hastened to add when Francesco snorted. “She’s just not your biggest fan, but like I said, she can be won over as long as _you’re_ unfailingly polite to _her_ in return, and to the rest of the family, including Giuliano. Plus, she really admires my grandmother and values her opinion, so it’s possible my grandmother putting in a good word for you could help sway my mother too.”

“And your grandfather? You said he doesn’t really listen to anyone’s opinion,” Francesco said. “Like you.”

Lorenzo ignored the little dig, knowing Francesco was just stressed out (and he wasn’t _exactly_ wrong to say that Lorenzo didn’t listen to other people’s opinions). “Usually he’s pretty stubborn and sticks to his own course of action, but that doesn’t mean he never takes my grandmother’s opinion or advice into account,” Lorenzo said. “And I’m his favorite grandchild, if I do say so myself, so I think he may be willing to give you a chance for my sake. Not to mention he’s less protective of me than my mother is. Still, you should do your best to impress him. Prove that you have a good head on your shoulders, especially when it comes to bank stuff, and he’ll respect you. Which you should have no trouble doing, since you’re the smartest person I know.”

He infused his tone with some tenderness on the last sentence, and he thought he saw Francesco’s posture relax a little. He finally turned away from his window to look at Lorenzo. “You should be glad my family’s all dead so you don’t have to meet them,” he said. Lorenzo blinked awkwardly at him, and Francesco shook his head and looked down. “Sorry. That was a joke. You know I have a shit sense of humor.”

Lorenzo chuckled. “I know, and it’s one of the many, many things I like about you,” he said. “And by the end of the night, my family will have started to see some of those things too.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

They arrived a few minutes later and walked up to the front door together, Francesco carrying the bouquet of flowers he’d bought for Lorenzo’s grandmother. Lorenzo paused before opening the door and instead turned to face Francesco. His expression was carefully blank, but he looked a bit pale and was gnawing on his lower lip. Lorenzo couldn’t blame him; meeting a partner’s family for the first time was nerve-racking enough even if said family _didn’t_ already despise you because of your last name. And because you’d once beaten one of them (Giuliano) up on the way home from school.

Lorenzo reached out to cup Francesco’s face in his hands and felt that he was trembling a little. “Whatever happens in there, even if it’s an unmitigated disaster, I want you to know that it’s not going to change the way I feel about you,” he said, gentle but firm. “I have no intention of breaking up with you anytime soon, regardless of how my family feels about it.”

Francesco gave him a small smile. “Let’s at least aim for ‘mitigated disaster,’” he said, and Lorenzo laughed, gave him a quick peck on the lips, and let go of him to push the door open.

The whole family was already gathered in the living room, but conversation cut off abruptly when the newcomers entered. “Hey, everyone!” Lorenzo said, trying to sound cheerful and completely relaxed.

Bianca and Guglielmo were crossing the room and hugging them both immediately. “It’s so good to see you guys!” Bianca said. “Francesco, how are you?”

“I’m good, thanks,” Francesco said. “You?”

“Also good.”

“Good luck with the inquisition,” Guglielmo said quietly under Bianca and Lorenzo’s enthusiastic greetings of each other. “It’s terrifying, but it’s also the worst you’ll have to deal with and everything after tonight will be way easier in comparison. Speaking from experience.”

“Uh, thanks?” said Francesco, who didn’t seem to be particularly comforted by this.

Once Bianca and Guglielmo stepped aside, Lorenzo turned to the room at large. “So, this is Francesco,” he said, taking Francesco’s free hand and tugging him forward a step. “I mean, you all already know him, of course, but…”

“Hello,” Francesco said under the cool, appraising gaze of the entire Medici family. Lorenzo squeezed his hand. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”

_“We_ didn’t, Lorenzo invited you and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Giuliano said. “Not that I didn’t try my best.”

“Stop it, Giuliano,” Lorenzo said, but Contessina was already defusing the situation by getting up to approach them with a smile.

“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Francesco,” she said. “How many years has it been?”

“Since he punched Lorenzo for trying to stay friends? About fifteen,” Piero said disapprovingly.

“Hush, Piero, they were just little boys back then and Francesco was going through an unimaginable amount of grief at the time. It’s hardly fair to hold that incident against him,” Contessina said before turning back to Francesco. “You’re very welcome here. I’m so glad you were able to come this evening.”

“Thank you, signora,” Francesco said, looking a little relieved at the warm reception even though Lorenzo had assured him of its likelihood. He held the flowers out to her. “These are for you.”

Contessina beamed at him. “Oh, how lovely! That was so thoughtful, thank you. Let me go find a vase…Lucrezia, aren’t these just beautiful?” she added on her way past Lorenzo’s mother.

“Very,” Lucrezia said with a smile at Francesco that only those who knew her well would see didn’t reach her eyes. “Welcome, Francesco.”

“Thank you.”

“I don’t like having a Pazzi in my home,” Piero declared, thumping his cane on the floor for emphasis, but everybody ignored him. (Guglielmo no longer counted as a Pazzi in Piero’s eyes, or anyone else’s for that matter.)

Cosimo was leaning on his own cane as he walked towards them. Lorenzo’s grandparents were both in their mid-eighties now, and while Contessina was still quite spry for her age, Cosimo was slowing down. But only physically; his mind was as quick and sharp as ever.

Which was why Lorenzo felt a little nervous to see the full force of his piercing, calculating blue eyes on Francesco. When Lorenzo had first broken the New Serious Boyfriend, And Did I Mention He’s A Pazzi news a few weeks ago and had seen his grandfather’s obvious displeasure, he’d immediately started trying to placate him about the fact that Francesco was a man, to which Cosimo had given him an extremely unimpressed look and said, _What sort of old-fashioned bigot do you think I am? I was befriending gay artists back in the seventies before your parents were even born. I don’t care that you’re dating a man, I care that you’re dating a Pazzi, and not one of the good ones like Bianca’s boyfriend._

Well, at least Pazzi-phobia was better than homophobia, right? That was what Lorenzo tried to tell himself now as he anxiously watched Cosimo study Francesco with a critical eye.

“Francesco Pazzi,” he said at last. “It certainly has been a long time.”

“Yes, it has,” Francesco said. He gestured around the room. “Your collection of art is even more impressive than I remembered.”

_Nice,_ Lorenzo thought. Francesco had clearly remembered his lesson that complimenting Cosimo’s art collection was one of the quickest ways to his heart. “As I recall, your grandfather wasn’t very fond of it the few times he came here,” Cosimo replied, his expression inscrutable. “I hear you were his favorite grandson.”

To anyone else this might sound like a compliment, but Lorenzo knew that Cosimo had hated Andrea Pazzi and thus to have been his favorite grandson was points against Francesco in Cosimo’s book. Francesco seemed to realize this too, as he smiled politely and deflected it by saying, “Only because I got better grades in math than Guglielmo did.”

“It’s true. Francesco was always the star student,” Guglielmo chimed in. “Our grandfather knew early on that leaving the bank in his hands would be the better decision even though I’m older. Francesco’s the one with a natural talent for banking.”

“Yeah, and a natural talent for being an asshole,” Giuliano snarked. “Nice _eyeliner,_ Pazzi _._ Was the emo store having a sale?”

“Wow, _devastating_ burn,” Lorenzo said with an eyeroll.

“And is that a ridiculous amount of hair gel you’re wearing, Count Dracula, or is your hair just naturally that greasy?”

Lorenzo could feel Francesco seething beside him, but fortunately, Contessina popped her head back into the room at that moment to announce that dinner was almost ready and they should all move into the dining room. “Ignore him, you look beautiful, as always,” Lorenzo whispered to Francesco as they followed everyone to the table.

“I know I do,” Francesco whispered back, still looking grumpy.

Lorenzo took the seat beside Francesco, and he hoped that Bianca and Guglielmo would sit across from them as a friendly buffer, but to his dismay, Cosimo and Lucrezia took those chairs, both clearly intent on grilling Francesco to within an inch of his life. But Guglielmo ended up on Francesco’s other side, at least, though unfortunately Giuliano was diagonal from him.

Lucrezia insisted that Contessina stay seated and she went into the kitchen to bring the food out herself. Bianca went to join her, whacking Giuliano on the shoulder as she passed so that he got up to help too, not without complaining. “This is delicious, signora,” Francesco told Contessina after they’d all had their first few bites.

“Thank you, but Bianca did most of it, she’s the real cook in the family,” Contessina said modestly. “And first names will do just fine for all of us, Francesco, you’re part of the family now. There’s no need for formality.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Lorenzo saw Lucrezia wearing an expression that indicated she felt there very much _was_ a need for formality. “Part of the family? Over my dead body,” Giuliano said, looking aghast at the very thought. “They’ve only been dating three months, Nonna, there’s still plenty of time for things to not work out.”

“I don’t know about that. It’s already easy to see how much they care about each other,” Contessina said fondly, which made Lorenzo smile and Francesco turn bright red. Lorenzo knew how much he hated it when people realized he sometimes experienced feelings.

“Lorenzo tells us you did your university studies down in Rome,” Cosimo said to Francesco, who nodded. “None of Florence’s universities were good enough for you?” The only thing Cosimo loved more than art was Florence. Francesco would have to tread carefully in his reply.

And thankfully, he did. “No, it wasn’t a question of the quality of the schools. On the contrary, I would’ve been happy to study in Florence,” Francesco replied. “But my uncle wanted me to study in Rome so I could have some experiencing working at Rome’s branch of our bank, which gets a little more business than the Florence branch. And of course I had to obey his wishes and do my duty to my family.”

The only thing Cosimo loved more than Florence was a sense of duty to one’s family, so he nodded in something almost like approval and Lorenzo let out a breath of relief.

Not for long. “What exactly are your intentions with Lorenzo?” Lucrezia said, her tone pleasant and her gaze steely.

_“Mom,”_ Lorenzo groaned, embarrassed. “Don’t do this. I’m a grown adult, thanks.”

“Um…my intentions?” Francesco said, shifting a little in his seat and looking nervous. “I-I don’t know exactly, we haven’t really discussed the long term yet…”

“Yes, because we’re still figuring everything out and just enjoying ourselves for now and not worrying too much about the future,” Lorenzo said with a pointed glance at his mother.

“Of course,” she said with a smile. “I was only thinking that I was already married with children by the time I was your age, Lorenzo.”

Poor Francesco choked on his wine, and Lorenzo thumped him on the back. “Jesus, don’t encourage them,” Giuliano whined. “If Francesco becomes my brother-in-law, I’ll kill myself.”

Francesco quickly took another sip of wine, presumably to stop himself from saying, _Good._

“And you know how important it is for you to settle down soon with someone respectable since your children will be the future of the Medici family and bank,” Lucrezia was saying to Lorenzo, ignoring the interruption.

“Someone respectable? You mean a woman, so I’ll have biological children?” Lorenzo said, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I know better than anyone that you don’t need Medici blood to be a true member of this family. By ‘respectable’ I only meant a trustworthy, level-headed person from a good family who will be a loyal partner to you and doesn’t have their own interests which conflict with ours,” Lucrezia said smoothly, taking a sip of wine herself.

“Such as a rival bank,” Piero clarified, not that Lucrezia’s point hadn’t already been obvious. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Francesco’s intentions are simply to use Lorenzo to spy on _our_ bank.”

“Come on, don’t be ridiculous,” Lorenzo said a little sharply. “Francesco would never do that. I trust him.”

“Your mistake.”

A flicker of hurt crossed Francesco’s face, and Lorenzo’s heart ached. He took his hand under the table, soothingly running his thumb over his knuckles. “I know you all have little reason to trust me, but I promise you that I’m not using Lorenzo,” Francesco said, his voice mostly even. “We’ve been successful so far at keeping business separate from our personal relationship, and I have every intention to keep doing so. I…I really care about him.”

Lorenzo smiled warmly at him, knowing how much effort it must’ve taken him to show even that little bit of emotional vulnerability in front of all these people he most likely considered enemies, or who considered _him_ an enemy.

“I hardly think Francesco would need to be spying on our bank anyway,” Cosimo said. “The Pazzi bank is doing very well these days.” His neutral tone didn’t indicate whether he was praising or lamenting the Pazzi bank’s success, but Francesco seemed to take it as the former, judging by the way pride settled in to replace the hurt on his face.

_“Too_ well,” Piero said. “There’s some Pazzi mischief afoot, I’m sure of it.”

“No mischief, just good business practices,” Francesco said. “I’ve been doing what I can since I took over last year.”

“You’re very young to have been burdened with such a great responsibility,” Cosimo observed.

“It’s no burden. I enjoy the work,” Francesco said, and indeed his face was lighting up (well, Francesco’s subdued version of “lighting up”) as it always did when he discussed his job. “There’s nothing more beautiful than the moment when you finally get the numbers to add up just right.”

_“Nerd,”_ Giuliano said.

But Cosimo was nodding. “Banking can be its own kind of art,” he agreed. “Tell me, what’s the current exchange rate of yen to the euro?”

“That’s not fair, Nonno, how could anyone just know that off the top of their head?” Lorenzo protested.

“Approximately one hundred twenty-five and three-quarters,” Francesco said without even batting an eye.

“Hm,” Cosimo said. He wasn’t quite smiling, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that Lorenzo knew meant he was impressed. Thank God Francesco was such an economics nerd.

Cosimo went on to ask Francesco a whole bunch of questions about current economic affairs and the stock market, and Lorenzo had no idea what they were talking about, but Francesco seemed to be doing well. And seemed to share most of Cosimo’s opinions on the various topics. “Exactly. _Exactly,”_ Cosimo said, looking pleased, after Francesco had finished explaining his thoughts on whatever (Lorenzo was completely lost). “Finally, someone I can have an intelligent discussion with about the economy over dinner, besides Lucrezia.”

Francesco looked equally pleased. “I know, it’s no use trying with Lorenzo.”

Bianca and Giuliano snickered as Lorenzo protested at this _completely_ unjustified and untrue slandering of his intelligence. “We’ve been talking about dumb bank stuff for way too long anyway, everyone else is bored,” he said next.

“Aww, poor Lorenzo’s not used to being the stupid one,” Bianca said, smirking at him.

“You say that like you _are_ used to being the stupid one, so that completely backfired as an insult,” Lorenzo said grumpily.

The subject _was_ changed, but to a much worse one. “I know it was a year ago now, but our condolences for your uncle’s passing,” Lucrezia said to Francesco. “I was sorry to hear of it.”

“I wasn’t,” Piero muttered. Lorenzo knew full well that Lucrezia wasn’t either, nor was anyone at the table. Least of all Francesco and Guglielmo.

“Thank you, but condolences really aren’t necessary. He was…” Francesco was pushing his food around on his plate, his lips in a tight little line. “A difficult man,” he settled on.

Lorenzo touched his knee under the table, giving it a comforting squeeze. He should’ve told his family beforehand not to bring up Jacopo; he knew how tense and upset Francesco got when he had to talk about him, or even think about him.

“I gathered that from the times I met with him to discuss bank business,” Cosimo said, studying Francesco carefully with an unusual expression on his face. “It can’t have been easy growing up under his roof.”

“No,” Francesco said, very quietly.

A heavy silence fell on the table, one which even Giuliano didn’t have the heart to break with a snarky comment at Francesco’s expense. “My father was also quite difficult, and my mother too,” Cosimo said after a moment. “As a boy I often felt…very lonely.”

The unusual expression, Lorenzo realized, it was _sympathy._

Francesco looked up and met Cosimo’s eyes, and as Lorenzo watched, he swore he could see some kind of unspoken mutual understanding pass between them. An understanding of things that Lorenzo, no matter how hard he tried, would never fully be able to understand himself, although he could see all the lasting damage they’d caused, all the scars on Francesco’s heart.

Maybe his grandfather had those scars too. He’d never really wondered until now.

“But I had my brother, of course,” Cosimo said, shaking Lorenzo out of his thoughts. “Lorenzo.” He nodded at the current Lorenzo. “My grandson’s namesake.”

“And I had _my_ brother,” Francesco said with a small smile in Guglielmo’s direction, which he returned.

“Well, that’s enough of the past,” Lucrezia said, mercifully changing the subject. Maybe she’d realized she’d caused Francesco undue pain with the current one. “I’d like to hear a little more about your relationship with Lorenzo. How did it all come about?”

“I already told you guys how it happened,” Lorenzo said.

“Yes, but I’m asking Francesco, not you.”

Lucrezia looked at Francesco expectantly. “We reconnected after Guglielmo and Bianca started dating,” he said. “I apologized for my past behavior, and Lorenzo forgave me, and we decided to start over on a clean slate. It didn’t take long for us to become close friends again, and within a year, we realized we had feelings for each other and decided to start a relationship. It’s not the most exciting story.”

Not when Francesco told it so matter-of-factly, leaving out the moment Lorenzo had looked at him one day and suddenly realized he was going to fall in love with him, the magic of their first kiss, how nervous they’d both been and how certain that the other didn’t return their feelings, and then how much they’d laughed in relief and delight when they found out that they both felt the same way. The first time they’d spent the night together, Francesco whispering that he’d never done it with a guy before, Lorenzo kissing his nerves away and admitting he hadn’t either, the touches full of hesitation but so much tenderness and desire. The warm bubble in Lorenzo’s chest when he’d woken up the next morning and seen Francesco asleep next to him looking so soft and peaceful, how much it had made him smile to know that Francesco trusted him enough to completely let his guard down with him.

Yes, their story was much better than Francesco made it out to be. But Lorenzo could understand why he wouldn’t want to share all those intimate details with the others. It was kind of nice, keeping some memories just for the two of them.

“Speaking of apologizing for past behavior,” Francesco was saying, “I owe apologies to many of you. Especially Giuliano. I’m truly sorry for all the times I was rude to you, and most of all for hurting you that day.”

“‘Beating me up four on one,’ you mean,” Giuliano said.

“Uh, yeah,” Francesco said, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. You’d insulted my family, and I felt like I had to avenge that wrong. But I went too far. I should’ve just let things be instead of getting revenge. I was…filled with a lot of anger back then. I promise I’m a different person now, and I see how wrong I was to react like that.”

Giuliano regarded him suspiciously. Lorenzo held his breath. “My nose has never looked the same since that day,” Giuliano said at last. “But whatever. We were just dumb teenagers.”

Lorenzo beamed. He never would’ve expected Giuliano to accept the apology, let alone so graciously. (Well, gracious by Giuliano’s standards, at any rate.)

The rest of dinner went fairly smoothly. Giuliano’s insults were a _little_ less mean-spirited, and Francesco continued valiantly ignoring him. Piero kept fussing about Pazzi mischief for a while without anyone paying him much attention, but eventually he tired himself out into a sulky silence. Every time there was a lull in the conversation, Cosimo seized the opportunity to ask Francesco another bank-related question he’d just thought of, and it got to the point where Bianca started joking that Cosimo was going to change his will to leave the Medici bank to Francesco instead of Lorenzo.

“I just might,” Cosimo said, so seriously that Lorenzo was concerned he wasn’t actually kidding, particularly seeing as Cosimo rarely _kidded_ about anything. But the prospect of a Pazzi getting his hands on the Medici bank set Piero off again, and the subject was quickly changed.

Contessina asked Francesco all about his time in Rome and reminisced about when he and Lorenzo were children, and Lucrezia doggedly kept up the interrogation about his relationship with Lorenzo. “What do you value most about him?” she asked at one point.

Francesco blushed, and Lorenzo quickly said, “Don’t embarrass him, he doesn’t have to answer that.”

“Why should it be embarrassing to discuss traits of your partner’s that you admire?” Lucrezia said, utterly unmoved.

Lorenzo gave up on dissuading her and instead turned his attention to Francesco. He reached up to touch Francesco’s cheek, giving him a small smile and encouraging him to focus on him and not on all the people awaiting his answer.

“Well, he’s selfless and kind,” Francesco said after a moment, gazing into Lorenzo’s eyes. “And I admire his ambition and his passion and his devotion to his work and family. But more than anything, I feel…safe when I’m with him. I feel like I’m home.”

Smiling even wider, Lorenzo leaned in and kissed him square on the lips. “Eww, get a room!” Giuliano complained.

“Stop it, Lorenzo, not in front of everyone,” Francesco was protesting, nudging him off and going even redder in the face.

“I’m glad one of you has a sense of decorum,” Cosimo said approvingly. “It’s about time Lorenzo learned some.”

“Hey!” Lorenzo said as Bianca and Giuliano laughed at him, like _they_ were any better in the decorum department.

They all sat together chatting for a while after the meal, until eventually Lorenzo decided that Francesco had been subjected to his family plenty long enough and deserved an escape. He made their excuses and they exchanged goodbyes with everyone. Bianca, Guglielmo, and Contessina all hugged Francesco, Cosimo shook his hand, Lucrezia gave him a nod that Lorenzo thought conveyed genuine approval, Piero harrumphed at him, and Giuliano declared that never seeing him again would be too soon. Lorenzo quickly ushered Francesco out before that could escalate.

Francesco let out a huge breath once they were safely out in the driveway and alone. “I need about ten more glasses of wine now,” he said.

Lorenzo laughed. “I can’t blame you. But you did amazing,” he said proudly. “Thank you, seriously. For putting in such an effort to get along with everybody even when they didn’t make it easy.”

“Yeah, well. It was worth it, for you,” Francesco admitted.

“Aww, I’m turning you sappy!”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Still chuckling, Lorenzo slid his arms around his waist and gave him a quick kiss. “Tonight really did mean a lot to me,” he said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you being willing to sit through that inquisition for me. I…” He took a deep breath. “I love you.”

He’d been feeling it for a while now but waiting for the right moment to say it, and now felt like that moment. Francesco’s eyes widened. “You…?” he said. “But—we’ve only been dating three months.”

“I know, and it’s totally okay if you’re not there yet yourself,” Lorenzo said. “I just wanted you to know that I am. I love you, Francesco, and I’m in this relationship for the long haul. Figured I might as well say so since my mother got me thinking about our _intentions.”_

To his relief, Francesco started to smile, that big and especially rare smile of his where he actually showed his teeth. It was so infectious that Lorenzo smiled again too. “I am too. In this for the long haul,” Francesco said. “Obviously, or else I wouldn’t have agreed to meet your family.”

“Very true.”

“And I, um…” Francesco ducked his head, adorably shy and still smiling so wide. “I love you too.”

Lorenzo let out a breathless laugh and kissed him again, and again and again until they were too busy laughing into each other’s mouths to actually kiss. “I love you,” Lorenzo said over and over. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Now…” Lorenzo gave him one last kiss before pulling back enough to smirk slightly at him. “What do you say we go back to my place and I help you… _unwind_ after the stressful evening you’ve had?”

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Francesco shook his head in fond exasperation. “Your grandfather’s right,” he said. “No decorum whatsoever.”

“So you _don’t_ want me to fuck your brains out right now?”

“Of course I do, idiot.”

* * *

“There,” Contessina said. “Do you still think he’s only using Lorenzo?”

The rest of the family was still in the dining room arguing about whether or not the Pazzi were terrible (Piero and Giuliano taking one side, Bianca and Guglielmo the opposition), but Lucrezia, Contessina, and Cosimo had come out to look out the window as Lorenzo and Francesco went to their car. Lucrezia because she wanted to see how Francesco behaved with her son when he thought no one else was watching, the other two probably because they felt it was the moment for the three unofficial heads of the family to discuss the new development and make an executive decision about whether they would allow it.

Lucrezia had been completely against it when Lorenzo first told them of his new boyfriend, but she had to admit that Francesco had impressed her tonight. He’d kept a cool head under pressure (which she hadn’t expected, given Giuliano’s stories of his temper when they were in school), had seemed genuine in his remorse for his past behavior to their family, and had been perfectly polite the entire time, if a little stiff. Now, though, as she watched him and Lorenzo having some exchange in the driveway, that stiffness was gone, a sense of ease and familiarity replacing it.

Lorenzo said something that made Francesco smile, a big, toothy grin unlike anything Lucrezia had seen from him all night. No, she thought, it wasn’t possible to fake the utter adoration that lit up his face as he looked at Lorenzo. Lorenzo leaned closer to him and they exchanged several quick kisses, Francesco still smiling the entire time, Lorenzo resting his hand on his cheek and smiling back at him just as brightly.

“I suppose not,” Lucrezia said as they finally got in the car and pulled out of the driveway. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to trust him right away like you’re doing.”

Contessina chuckled. “You know, there was a time when _you_ were the more naïve one between the two of us.”

Lucrezia smiled faintly at the memory. “I was young then. Having such naïve children myself has made me more cynical,” she said. “So I can look out for them.”

“Lorenzo _is_ naïve, it’s true,” Cosimo said. “Which is precisely why someone as practical as Francesco would be a good partner for him. He’ll keep Lorenzo’s dreams from running away with him.”

“I thought the great Medici legacy was built on big dreams,” Contessina said.

“Of course, but there’s a difference between having big dreams and completely losing one’s head in the clouds,” Cosimo replied. “Francesco will ensure Lorenzo doesn’t do the latter.”

“I never thought I’d see the day when _you_ were advocating for a Pazzi to join our family,” Lucrezia remarked.

“Nor did I,” Cosimo said wryly. “But Guglielmo’s already proven that Medici and Pazzi can live in harmony, and besides, the sins of the father need not fall on the son. Or of the grandfather and uncle, in this case. I wouldn’t wish to be judged by my father’s actions any more than I imagine Francesco would wish to be judged by Andrea’s and Jacopo’s.”

“If only we could get Piero to see the same thing,” Contessina said. “He was giving the poor boy such a hard time.”

“Oh, he’ll come around,” Lucrezia said, waving a careless hand. “Once he realizes the three of us are all in agreement.”

“We _are_ in agreement, then?” Contessina said hopefully.

“Yes,” Cosimo said. “It’s a relief to see Lorenzo date someone sensible for once.”

“It certainly is,” Lucrezia said. “Francesco does seem like a good match for him. And no one’s more surprised to hear me say so than I am.”

* * *

One month and two more family dinners later, Francesco, Bianca, and Guglielmo were all hanging out at Lorenzo’s apartment on a Sunday and discussing whether they thought the Medici were warming up to Francesco. “Definitely,” was Bianca’s analysis. “Mom wouldn’t have even let him in the house a second time if she didn’t lowkey approve. She’s just too proud to admit yet that she _does_ approve and is going to assert dominance by making Francesco sweat it out a little longer.”

Lorenzo nodded in agreement. “It’s only a matter of time before you’re fully one of us,” he said, slinging his arm around Francesco’s shoulders and giving him an exaggeratedly loud kiss on the cheek, grinning when it made Francesco complain and squirm away from him.

“Hopefully that means it’ll also only be a matter of time before I stop feeling like I’m going to puke every time your mother looks at me,” he said. He checked the time on his phone. “I actually have to get going, I’ll see you guys later.”

“Going where?” Lorenzo said, surprised. It wasn’t that Francesco didn’t have friends, just that he never had plans that didn’t involve Lorenzo or work. Okay, yeah, it was that Francesco didn’t have friends.

“Um…” Francesco looked a little awkward. “Your grandfather invited me over to play chess this afternoon.”

“What?” Lorenzo spluttered as Bianca and Guglielmo started cracking up. “When?”

“He texted me the other day.”

“He _what?!_ He hates his cell phone! He doesn’t even text _me!_ How the hell did he get your number anyway?”

Francesco just shrugged. “So I’m heading out,” he said, getting to his feet and moving towards the door.

“Are you _seriously_ going to hang out with _my_ grandfather by yourself without me?” Lorenzo demanded.

“Well, you weren’t really invited, so…”

Lorenzo huffed indignantly. Bianca and Guglielmo were continuing to lose it. “Francesco, tell me you see how weird this is,” he said.

Francesco sighed. “Look, if you really want to come that badly, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

“Oh, well, I’m glad for your input, since you clearly know him better than I do,” Lorenzo grumbled. “I won’t come if I’m so unwanted. Tell your new best friend I said hi, not that he’ll care.”

“Okay,” Francesco said, and he left without further ado.

Lorenzo crossed his arms. “Fucking unbelievable,” he muttered. “My own grandfather likes my boyfriend more than he likes me.”

“I thought you _wanted_ everyone to like Francesco,” Bianca said, still snickering.

“Yes, but not more than me!”

“Well, it’s no surprise. They really do have a lot in common,” Bianca said. “I mean, you do realize you’re basically dating just a younger version of Nonno, right?”

“Oh, shut up.”

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve got a couple other Lorenzo/Francesco fics that are currently 90% done, so with any luck you’ll be seeing more from me pretty soon!


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